Advice on choosing your paintball gun

 Choosing your paintball marker is very important.  You want something that is rough and tough that can stand the abuse of hours of play. However, you most likely don't have a fourtune to spend on your first marker. 

•  Tippmann has many good beginner markers.  Each one has many good things about it. 
• The Tippmann 98 is a reliable marker for beginners.  It is easy to maintain and has a great weight  and rate of fire for its class, of course depending on your hopper.   It takes Co2 or compressed air. It takes standard 68. caliber paintballs and has decent upgrade-ability, however if you want to make your marker a custom model designed by you and for you and only you, you may want to check out the Tippmann A5 (coming up next). 
• The Tippmann A5, like the 98, is a great gun for beginners.  This gun is slightly more expensive, running around $180.00, while the 98 is about $130.00.  It also takes Co2 or HPA (high pressure air) and 68. caliber paintballs.  Unlike the 98, this gun has a cyclone feed system. This is a system in which extra Co2 or compresed air is pushed into a rotating fin which pushes the ball into the gun faster than a gravity hopper and even some electric hoppers.  Plus, you can shoot as fast as an electric hopper without batteries.  Nifty, huh?  It is also easy to clean because most Tippmann guns basically have the same internals.  Last but not least, this gun is the king of upgrading (in my opinion).  There are so many stocks, barrels, shrouds, accessories, and even entire kits (most kits for the A5 only), that the possibilities are endless. 

Basic A5

•  The Tippmann X7 is higher up on the scale. It is $300.00 for the mechanical version and $400.00 for the electro-pneumatic. It also has a cyclone feed system like the A5.  However, this cyclone feed has what's called "squishy paddles,"  which are softer and make sure you don't  break paint in your loader. It takes both types of propellants: Co2 and HPA.  It takes 68. caliber  ammo.  The mechanical version has semi-auto fire like most paintball guns.  The electronic version has semi auto and full auto. The electronic version takes a 9 volt battery that is only used when full auto is on.  The great thing is now you don't  need an expensive hopper to keep up with you.  
• The Tippmann US army series are basically  all the same so I will only go over them once.  There are 3 models: the Carver One, which is $100.00, and is basically a small rifle with a good rate of fire but has no cyclone feed, the Alpha Black which is just like the Carver One, except it is modeled like the M16 and runs around $130.00, and the Project Salvo, which is like the Alpha Black, except it has a folding stock instead of a collapsible one and has a tactical accessory rail on its front shroud.  It costs About $140.00.

The second reliable company is Tiberius Arms.  They produce mag-fed paintball guns, but most can also take hoppers.  Tiberius Arms also has a special type of paintball round.  It is more aerodynamic which gives it much more accuracy and much more distance than a normal paintball round.  These First Strike rounds can only be used in a magazine.  

• The T8.1 (handgun) and T9.1 are basically the same gun.  They have the exact same core gun, except the 9.1 has a stock, barrel extension, and shroud.  The mag for these guns holds 8 rounds.  It can hold paint balls or First Strike, and can use Co2 12 gram cartridges out of the box.  It can use an HPA tank in stock with a $130.00 upgrade, but only for the 9.1.The 8.1 runs around $200.00, while the 9.1 runs around $350.00.
• The T4 is a big sniper rifle with a lot of power and great accuracy.  It has a great mag capacity of either 14 or 20. It can use 12 gram Co2 or HPA tank, and can take paintballs or First Strike. It runs around... $1000.00 (not kidding)!

A third reliable company is BT or Empire Battle Tested.  They have well built guns for many styles of play.  

• The first is the BT4.  It is very similar to the Tippmann 98.  The BT4 has less upgrade ability than the Tippmann 98.  Also after every use you may want to tighten the screws, because the have a tendency to loosen.  This gun takes standard ammo and both propellants.  This gun runs around $130.00.
• The BT Omega is modeled like the AR-15.  It has average ROF (rate of fire), and it is compatible with the BT rip-clip.  The BT rip-clip is a system in which  the sound of the shot going off loads the next round.  It can reach 25-30 balls per second.  This gun takes standard 68. caliber ammunition and uses both propellants.  This gun runs around $140.00.
• The BT TM 7 is a small lightweight assault  riffle.  It is compatible with the BT rip-clip.  This gun has 3 firing modes: semi-auto, 3 round burst, and full auto.  It is a very low profile gun so it is good for being in the front lines.  This gun takes standard ammo.  ATTENTION: this gun takes HPA only, no Co2!  This  gun takes a 9 volt battery.  It can shoot up to 30 rounds a second .  If you run out of  battery during play, you will need to call yourself out, or switch guns.  Changing this battery is not convienient.  This gun runs around $400.00.
• The BTTM 15 is like the TM7, only it is bigger.  The TM15 is a big assult rifle with full auto, 3 round burst, and semi-auto.  It also takes a 9 volt battery.  The same deal applies here: HPA only, no Co2.  The BTTM 15 is compatible with the rip-clip, but the gun is so quiet it does not work.  You would be better off getting a different hopper, and have a quiet gun, than trying to make the gun louder and use the rip-clip.  This gun runs around $500.00.

These are not the only good markers on the market.  However, in my opinion, it touches base with each main style of play.  The Tippmann markers are relatively cheap for their amazing performance, and great for your first marker.  The Tiberius  series has the 9.1 and T4.  These are both amazingly accurate and great for long range sniping.  The BT series have good starter markers and have reliable full auto markers.  This is not saying that Tippmann does not have good full auto markers or BT does not have good snipers.  It is just a general trend of where their products are going.  If you have a specific question, you may e-mail me at midanipaintball@gmail.com or check out my Ask Questions page.